Zaytinya

Another place ventured to for lunch, this restaurant is literally across the street from the Gallery Place/ Chinatown Metro station. Super easy to get to from the metro it was also another restaurant which I was able to book for online. Although the size of my party changed greatly between reservation and arrival, the staff was very accommodating and sat my smaller party (2) at a more appropriately sized table. The decor was a bit like a modern twist on Greek roots. The food appeared to be Mediterranean tapas. We decided to get the four-course lunch. Before the meal the server gave our table a basket of pillow-y bread which we were eventually given a olive oil and balsamic to dunk it in.

Bread

Each person gets to pick one food item from each section.  To start we got a deep fried eggplant with a sauce on top. I felt the eggplant slices were perfectly fried so that they were soft and warm on the inside while still maintaining their crunch on the outside.

Fried Eggplant

The other appetizer was a cold salad with pita, tomato, and other vegetables.  Normally I can’t stand raw tomatoes but in this salad, the yellow ones especially, were superb. This was a nice refreshing change of place from the fried choice.

Fresh Salad

For the next course we got a Panini-type dish with ground lamb in it and meatballs (sorry for the fuzziness in the pictures, something apparently got on the lens). The spices in the Panini were too strong for my palate to really enjoy. And the meatballs weren’t anything too special. Overall I would have taken a second helping of the appetizer round in a heartbeat.

Meatballs

Ground Lamb Panini

For the main course we ordered lamb meatballs and the piece of lamb. I am a huge fan of lamb so I was part of the reason it appeared so much in our choices. After the last round I was a little dubious but this lamb stuck true to its roots and really brought out the flavor. The straight lamb piece with tomato and onion garnish was a good example of getting the simple things right (and again this was another instance in which I loved the tomatoes, the grilling left them warm with an explosion of flavor upon the first bite).

Grilled Lamb

The lamb meatballs were obviously hand packed and well cooked. The flavors were rich and filling and the goat cheese in the dish complemented the richness of the meatballs nicely.

Lamb Meatballs

There were only two choices for dessert so we got to try both from the sampler menu. The ice cream dish I expected more from. Although it wasn’t bad the general construction made it a bit tricky to eat without making a mess (our ice cream kept sliding around the plate).

Ice cream Dessert

The second dish was a fruiter dish in a glass. The peach flavor in this was delicious. All the flavors in the glass combined perfectly and each element on its own was superb.

Peach Dessert

Overall the price wasn’t too bad considering we got a four-course meal (heads up, everyone at the table has to order it) and I did feel full at the end but it is one of the more expensive places I’ve been to lunch. (This may also be because I’m cheap). If you go I recommend the multi-course option, I think it gives you the best chance to sample the menu for the dollar.

For my overall review I give this restaurant 3.5 out of 5 for a decent price, very easy location, good food, and good service.